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That normally wouldn't mean much except the movie is the "The Zero," based on Jess Walter's novel about the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Instead of Ground Zero as the setting, the movie version will be set in Chicago following the fictional destruction of the Willis Tower (still known as the Sears Tower to many) by terrorists.

Borte does not see this as a controversial switch for the 108-story tower which has been a reputed terrorist target in the past.

"It's really based on the aftermath," Borte told PopcornBiz. "We're not giving people an interesting way to take down the Sears Tower."

"I'm sure people were not happy with the 'Towering Inferno.' But what do you do?"

Borte said the movie needed to be moved from Ground Zero for a number of reasons, including the fact that that the 9/11 Ground Zero is "sacred ground." Another reason is that filmmakers wanted to incorporate new elements to the story that were not a factor back when the popular novel was written.

"We wanted to update it a little bit," says Borte. "And we couldn't update it with a period piece from 2001. For a variety of reasons, it's going to be set in the very near future."

Borte, whose current movie "The Joneses" is in theaters, says author Jess Walter is in total agreement with the move. The screenplay is being written by Brandon Boyce ("Wicker Park").